Training Flights for Pilot and Aircraft
Proposed 7th Jan 2023
After the completion, initial local testing and moving the aircraft into unlimited operations I will need to test both the plane and myself before heading off around the world. Here’s one such flight.
1. A Trapezoidal Perimeter of Australia
note: I will probably divert with a waypoint on the Nullabor (YNUB). There is no point going so far over water on this testing flight. A separate training flight to New Zealand may be better for overwater and a first ‘International’ flight.
Moorabbin to Cairns 1,262nm
Cairns to Port Hedland 1,558nm
Port Hedland to Jandakot 717nm
Jandakot back to Moorabbin 1,476nm
Lets say I fly at 17,000 to 18,000 feet and average 180knots TAS.
Even more ambitions would be 30 litres an hour in fuel and we are assuming net zero winds.
Very optimistic numbers for this flight of 5012nm, not including taxi time and assuming climb and cruise even out would be only 28hours flying and using around 1,132 litres of fuel.
2. New Zealand via Norfolk Island
Coffs Harbour to Norfolk Island (YSNF) 778nm
Norfolk to to Kerri Kerri (NZKK) New Zealand 481 nm
Total 1,259nm 7 or 8 hours flying depending on the winds.
This flight is to see how I go over water and to another country. Being all in roughly the same language will be one less problem. I had planned to go non-stop BUT I need a point of exit from Australia, and entry on return where we have customs all set up. So Norfolk it is and I’ll do the trip in two ‘relatively’ short flights.
I still have some work to do to see if I need to fly over known way-points or if I can just file direct (DCT). I assume I’ll need position reports every 30 minutes and it will be a good test of how my HF works and what contingency plans I need if it doesn’t.
I may plan to fly over Lord Howe Island but not land. It has a short runway and I’ll have plenty of fuel anyway. It is a good place to have a second ‘Point of No Return’ calculated from.
I’ll have to get up to Coffs first and will probably stay overnight or longer waiting for favorable weather. I hope to use handlers for my permits as a bit of a trial run for the Round The World.
If I leave early in the day it should all be done in daylight. I’ll return via the same route